Fire coaching search down to Soehn, Marsch

According to a source within the Chicago Fire organization, the team's coaching search is down to two finalists: Jesse Marsch and Tom Soehn.

After going through initial interviews, along with Mike Jeffries, Curt Onalfo and Chris Armas, Marsch and Soehn have been interviewed a second time by team majority investor Andrew Hauptman in Los Angeles.

He decided to jettison coach Denis Hamlett after Chicago lost the Eastern Conference final to Real Salt Lake on penalty kicks to fall one game short of MLS Cup for the second straight season.

Soehn, 43, left D.C. United a month ago as it contemplated replacing him following his third season in charge. One of the D.C. candidates, Akron coach Caleb Porter, announced his decision to stick with the college game on Monday, which leaves Onalfo as the last man standing unless D.C. opens up the process again.

Soehn has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Vancouver expansion team that will come into the league in 2011.

Marsch, 36, played for the Fire's 1998 championship team after spending his first two pro seasons with D.C., which won titles in both seasons. He has played the last three seasons for Chivas USA and has been pondering whether to play another year for new coach Martin Vasquez or move into the coaching ranks.